Virgil van Dijk’s decisive header in extra time secured Liverpool’s 10th EFL Cup triumph, extending their record, as they overcame Chelsea in a thrilling final at Wembley. The Liverpool center-back initially thought he had scored in regular time, but VAR controversially disallowed the goal, citing Wataru Endō’s offside position during a free-kick as interference.
This victory solidifies Liverpool’s status as the most successful team in EFL Cup history, with two of their triumphs coming under current manager Jürgen Klopp. Chelsea, on the other hand, suffered their third consecutive defeat in League Cup finals (2019, 2022, and 2024), becoming the first team to lose six major English domestic cup finals in a row.
Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea’s manager, has only secured one victory in 14 encounters against Jürgen Klopp, with today’s final marking his eighth winless match since that sole triumph in October 2017.
Liverpool’s journey to extra time in five of their last League Cup finals (2005, 2012, 2016, 2022, and 2024) and in nine of their 11 Wembley final matches is notable. Virgil Van Dijk’s winning goal in the 118th minute is the latest decisive goal in a League Cup final since Aston Villa’s Brian Little in 1977.
Van Dijk, with goals against Luton and Chelsea, scored in consecutive games for the first time in his Liverpool career, marking his 252nd appearance for the club.
In a historic move for Liverpool, they fielded three players aged 21 or younger in a major final—Ryan Gravenberch (21), Conor Bradley (20), and Harvey Elliott (20).
The final also featured a trio of teenagers for Liverpool: Jayden Danns (18), Bobby Clark (19), and James McConnell (19)—the most teenagers to appear in a League Cup final for a team since Arsenal in 2007.
Enzo Fernández celebrated his 50th start for Chelsea since his debut in February 2023, the most starts by any player for the club during this period.
Liverpool’s dynamic season is reflected in their 217 changes to the starting XI across all competitions, outpacing the Premier League team with the next most lineup changes by 54 (Manchester City, 163).
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